I am a product.

I am a product of Africa, the homeland of all humanity. I
am a product of the three islands of my immediate ancestors
(Sicily, Ireland, Madeira) and the people before them who
chose to move apart from the mainland. I am a product of the
United States -a country founded upon chattel slavery and
maintained by wage slavery- and all the beauty and filth that
it has spawned. I am a product of racism and abolitionism,
of democracy, deceit, privilege and passion.

I am a product of wonderful parents who set the standard
for compas-sion. I am a product of nine loveable siblings,
full of mischief and creativity, stubborness and generosity,
confusion and humor, deviltry and dedication. I am a product
of a fantastic partner who has balanced me with her sense
of reason, her determination, and her honesty. I am a product
of our two children who helped make me who i am with their
charm and their challenge.

I am a product of Sweden, the cold darkness of the soul that
grows on oneself like frost, the sense of humanity and decency
that brought me here. I am a product of all my friends who
have perspired, inspired, and expired -the tragedy, the comedy
of life. I am a product of an unholy trinity: the Catholic
Church, the punk community, the peace and justice movement.
I am a product of my choices - choices guided by a respect
for the sanctity of self and the sanctity of others. I am
the product of the genetic coding that determined my gender,
my physical stature, and my confused creativity.